Chinese Startup Dewu Technology Raises Pre-Series A for Tiny Metal 3D Printing

A New Player in Ultra-Precision Metal AM

Suzhou Dewu Technology Co., Ltd. has closed a pre-Series A funding round to scale its metal 3D printing systems for tiny, high-precision parts. The round was led by Beijing-based GSR United Capital and Jiangsu's Jintou Zhiyuan, with the total described in Chinese tech media as "tens of millions of yuan," likely putting it in the $5-15 million range.

The company, founded in May 2024, says its printers can produce wall thicknesses down to 30 micrometers and surface finishes as low as 1 micrometer. Founder Wang Zhou told 36Kr that post-processing accounts for roughly 70 percent of the cost with traditional selective laser melting, but Dewu has cut that to 10-20 percent. At a surface finish of Ra ≤ 1.5 micrometers, many medical and consumer electronics parts can go straight to assembly without secondary work.

Why Consumer Electronics Is the Target

Wang argues that the real question for customers is not whether a part can be printed, but how many steps remain after printing. That logic is steering Dewu toward consumer electronics firms that are pushing for ultra-fine internal structures in foldable devices and wearables. Overseas electronics customers have been approaching the company intensively since the second half of last year, he said.

The timing matters. Earlier this year, a consortium including BLT used a high-precision liquid metal UV process to 3D print a hinge for OPPO's foldable Find N6. Farsoon has also been marketing 10-micrometer layer thicknesses in copper for data center cooling parts. Dewu is entering a space that Chinese manufacturers are treating as the next competitive frontier in metal AM.

Credibility Check

Dewu is very young, and Western coverage of the company is sparse. The 36Kr interview notes that core team members studied at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the same institution that is part of the BLT-led consortium. That connection is interesting, but it does not guarantee that the company's claimed tolerances hold at production scale.

Still, the broader pattern is hard to ignore. Chinese metal AM suppliers are moving fast, and they are targeting the same high-margin micro-precision markets that Western firms have assumed would stay out of reach for years.